كُنّاwe were وَقُضبانand Qudban وَهيَwhile she تُسمِعُناsang to us
كُنّا وَقُضبان وَهيَ تُسمِعُنا
وَالقَومُand the company مِنamong مُطرِقٍone with bowed head وَمُقتَرِحِand one making requests
وَالقَومُ مِن مُطرِقٍ وَمُقتَرِحِ
We were with Qudban as she sang to us,
We were like rods and she made us listen,
the company including some with bowed heads and others making requests.
While the people prepared and proposed.
نَشرَبُwe drink صِرفاًunmixed wine كَأَنَّas though مسكَتَهاher grasp بِهِon it
نَشرَبُ صِرفاً كَأَنَّ مسكَتَها بِهِ
نارٌfire بِكَفّيin the two hands of ملاعِبِa juggler مَرِحِmerry
نارٌ بِكَفّي ملاعِبِ مَرِحِ
We drank unmixed wine, as though her grasp on it
We drank wine as if its intoxication in it
were fire in the two hands of a merry juggler.
Was fire in the hands of playful boys.
حاضِرُناpresent with us نَرجسٌnarcissi كَأَنَّas though بِهِwithin it
حاضِرُنا نَرجسٌ كَأَنَّ بِهِ
عِناقَan embrace خَيلٍof horses سَفَرنَthey unveiled عَنfrom قَرحِforehead-blazes
عِناقَ خَيلٍ سَفَرنَ عَن قَرحِ
Narcissi were with us, as though within them
Before us was a narcissus as if in it
horses embraced, unveiling their white forehead-blazes.
Was an embrace of horses who journeyed from a wound.
وَالقَومُand the company كُلّeach أَعَدَّprepared زينَتَهhis finery
وَالقَومُ كُلّ أَعَدَّ زينَتَه
تَسحَبُtrail عِطفاهُhis two flanks أَذيُلَthe hems الفَرَحِof joy
تَسحَبُ عِطفاهُ أَذيُلَ الفَرَحِ
And each of the company had prepared his finery,
And the people, each adorned their beauty,
his two flanks trailing the hems of joy.
Dragging the trains of joy.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen الكَأسُthe cup باحَdivulged بِماwhat
حَتّى إِذا الكَأسُ باحَ بِما
أَخفواthey concealed لِحَيِّfor the clan of الصبىyouth وَلَمand did not أَبُحِI disclose
أَخفوا لِحَيِّ الصبى وَلَم أَبُحِ
Until the cup divulged what
Until when the cup overflowed with what
they had concealed for youth's clan, while I disclosed nothing.
They had concealed for the sake of vivacious youth, and I did not reveal.
فَاِنتَصَحَتso she consulted رَأيهاher own judgment فَكانَand it was لَهاfor her
فَاِنتَصَحَت رَأيها فَكانَ لَها
شَرَّthe worst مُشيرٍadviser وَشَرَّand the worst مُنتَصِحِtaker of advice
شَرَّ مُشيرٍ وَشَرَّ مُنتَصِحِ
So she consulted her own judgment, and had
Then her reason sobered up, so for her
the worst adviser and the worst taker of advice.
There was evil in the advisor and the sober.
لَوif تَعلَمُshe knew العلمthe truth كُنتI would have been أَوَّلthe first ماone
لَو تَعلَمُ العلم كُنت أَوَّل ما
مُبتَذلheld cheap عِندَهاin her eyes فُمَطَّرحِthen cast aside
مُبتَذل عِندَها فُمَطَّرحِ
Had she known the truth, I would have been the first
If she knew knowledge, the first thing
held cheap by her, then cast aside.
Debased to her would be my mouth.
صاحَتshe cried out فَقالواand they said العَفافchastity نَفَّرَهاmade her recoil
صاحَت فَقالوا العَفاف نَفَّرَها
ماwhat بالهاis the matter with her قَبلَbefore ذاكَthat لَمdid not تَصِحِshe cry out
ما بالها قَبلَ ذاكَ لَم تَصِحِ
She cried out, and they said, 'Chastity made her recoil.'
She shouted, so they said chastity disgusted her.
Why had she not cried out before that?
Why, before this, was she not sober?
راحواthey went away بَراءًblameless وَرحتُwhile I went away أَسحَبُdragging منpart of
راحوا بَراءً وَرحتُ أَسحَبُ من
ذَيلthe train of اِمرئٍa man لِلذُّنوبِof sins مُجتَرِحِa committer
ذَيل اِمرئٍ لِلذُّنوبِ مُجتَرِحِ
They left blameless, while I left trailing part of
They left innocent, while I dragged myself
the train of a man who commits sins.
From the tail of a man prone to sins.
Sol 6.1